Geochemistry of the thermal springs and fumaroles of Basse-Terre Island, Guadeloupe, Lesser Antilles

The purpose of this work was to study jointly the volcanic-hydrothermal system of the high-risk volcano La Soufriere, in the southern part of Basse-Terre, and the geothermal area of Bouillante, on its western coast, to derive an all-embracing and coherent conceptual geochemical model that provides the necessary basis for adequate volcanic surveillance and further geothermal exploration. The active andesitic dome of La Soufriere has erupted eight times since 1660, most recently in 1976-1977. All these historic eruptions have been phreatic. High-salinity, Na-CI geothermal liquids circulate in the Bouillante geothermal reservoir, at temperatures close to 250 degrees C. These Na-CI solutions rise toward the surface, undergo boiling and mixing with groundwater and/or seawater, and feed most Na-CI thermal springs in the central Bouillante area. The Na-Cl thermal springs are surrounded by Na-HCO3 thermal springs and by the Na-Cl thermal spring of Anse a la Barque (a groundwater slightly mixed with seawater), which are all heated through conductive transfer. The two main fumarolic fields of La Soufriere area discharge vapors formed through boiling of hydrothermal aqueous solutions at temperatures of 190-215 degrees C below the ``Ty'' fault area and close to 260 degrees C below the dome summit. The boiling liquid producing the vapors of the Ty fault area has SD and delta(18)O values relatively similar to those of the Na-CI liquids of the Bouillante geothermal reservoir, whereas the liquid originating the vapors of the summit fumaroles is strongly enriched in O-18, due to input of magmatic fluids from below. This process is also responsible for the paucity of CH;I in the fumaroles. The thermal features around La Soufriere dome include: (a) Ca-SO4 springs, produced through absorption of hydrothermal vapors in shallow groundwaters; (b) conductively heated, Ca-Na-HCO3 springs; and (c) two Ca-Na-Cl springs produced through mixing of shallow Ca-SO4 waters and deep Na-Cl hydrothermal liquids. The geographical distribution of the different thermal features of La Soufriere area indicates the presence of: (a) a central zone dominated by the ascent of steam, which either discharges at the surface in the fumarolic fields or is absorbed in shallow groundwaters; and (b) an outer zone, where the shallow groundwaters are heated through conduction or addition of Na-Cl liquids coming from hydrothermal aquifer(s).

Genetic diversity and relationship in American and African oil palm as revealed by RFLP and AFLP molecular markers

The objective of this work was to evaluate the genetic diversity, its organization and the genetic relationships within oil palm (Elaeis oleifera (Kunth) Cortés, from America, and E. guineensis (Jacq.), from Africa) germplasm using Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) and Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP). In complement to a previous RFLP study on 241 E. oleifera accessions, 38 E. guineensis accessions were analyzed using the same 37 cDNA probes. These accessions covered a large part of the geographical distribution areas of these species in America and Africa. In addition, AFLP analysis was performed on a sub-set of 40 accessions of E. oleifera and 22 of E. guineensis using three pairs of enzyme/primer combinations. Data were subjected to Factorial Analysis of Correspondence (FAC) and cluster analysis, with parameters of genetic diversity being also studied. Results appeared congruent between RFLP and AFLP. In the E. oleifera, AFLP confirmed the strong structure of genetic diversity revealed by RFLP, according to geographical origin of the studied material, with the identification of the same four distinct genetic groups: Brazil, French Guyana/Surinam, Peru, north of Colombia/Central America. Both markers revealed that genetic divergence between the two species is of the same magnitude as that among provenances of E. oleifera. This finding is in discrepancy with the supposed early tertiary separation of the two species.

Complicated intra-abdominal infections in Europe: a comprehensive review of the CIAO study.

ABSTRACT: The CIAO Study ("Complicated Intra-Abdominal infection Observational" Study) is a multicenter investigation performed in 68 medical institutions throughout Europe over the course of a 6-month observational period (January-June 2012).Patients with either community-acquired or healthcare-associated complicated intra-abdominal infections (IAIs) were included in the study.2,152 patients with a mean age of 53.8 years (range: 4-98 years) were enrolled in the study. 46.3% of the patients were women and 53.7% were men. Intraperitoneal specimens were collected from 62.2% of the enrolled patients, and from these samples, a variety of microorganisms were collectively identified.The overall mortality rate was 7.5% (163/2.152).According to multivariate analysis of the compiled data, several criteria were found to be independent variables predictive of patient mortality, including patient age, the presence of an intestinal non-appendicular source of infection (colonic non-diverticular perforation, complicated diverticulitis, small bowel perforation), a delayed initial intervention (a delay exceeding 24 hours), sepsis and septic shock in the immediate post-operative period, and ICU admission.Given the sweeping geographical distribution of the participating medical centers, the CIAO Study gives an accurate description of the epidemiological, clinical, microbiological, and treatment profiles of complicated intra-abdominal infections (IAIs) throughout Europe.

Selection of bee species for environmental risk assessment of GM cotton in the Brazilian Cerrado

The objective of this work was to list potential candidate bee species for environmental risk assessment (ERA) of genetically modified (GM) cotton and to identify the most suited bee species for this task, according to their abundance and geographical distribution. Field inventories of bee on cotton flowers were performed in the states of Bahia and Mato Grosso, and in Distrito Federal, Brazil. During a 344 hour sampling, 3,470 bees from 74 species were recovered, at eight sites. Apis mellifera dominated the bee assemblages at all sites. Sampling at two sites that received no insecticide application was sufficient to identify the three most common and geographically widespread wild species: Paratrigona lineata, Melissoptila cnecomola, and Trigona spinipes, which could be useful indicators of pollination services in the ERA. Indirect ordination of common wild species revealed that insecticides reduced the number of native bee species and that interannual variation in bee assemblages may be low. Accumulation curves of rare bee species did not saturate, as expected in tropical and megadiverse regions. Species-based approaches are limited to analyze negative impacts of GM cotton on pollinator biological diversity. The accumulation rate of rare bee species, however, may be useful for evaluating possible negative effects of GM cotton on bee diversity.

Pääomasijoittaminen metsäteollisuuteen vuosina 1995-2005

Tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli selvittää metsäteollisuuteen tehtyjä pääomasijoituksia. Tutkimuskohteena olivat kansainväliset metsäteollisuusyritykset ja niihin tehdyt pääomasijoitukset vuosina 1995-2005. Tutkimuksessa tarkasteltiin miten pääomasijoitukset metsäteollisuuteen ovat kehittyneet lukumääräisesti sekä miten metsäteollisuuteen tehtävien pääomasijoitustenkoko on muuttunut tällä ajanjaksolla. Tutkimuksessa tarkasteltiin myös metsäteollisuuteen sijoittavien pääomasijoittajien maantieteellistä jakautumista sekä näiden kohdeyhtiöiden maantieteellistä jakautumista. Tutkimustulosten mukaan pääomasijoittaminen kansainvälisiin metsäteollisuusyrityksiin on lisääntynyt vuosina 1995-2005. Pääomasijoitukset metsäteollisuuteen ovat pysyneet keskimääräiseltä kooltaan samalla tasolla koko tarkasteluajanjakson. Metsäteollisuuden pääomasijoituksista lähes puolet tuli eurooppalaisilta pääomasijoittajilta tarkasteluajanjaksona. Viime vuosina pohjoisamerikkalaiset, eurooppalaiset ja aasialaiset pääomasijoittajat ovat jokainen tarjonneet metsäteollisuuden vuosittaisistapääomasijoituksista lähes yhtä suuren osuuden. Metsäteollisuuteen sijoittavatpääomasijoittajat preferoivat sijoituksissaan omaa maantieteellistä aluettaan.

Integración de redacciones en los medios locales y comarcales catalanes

Se ofrecen los resultados obtenidos del análisis de la organización de las redacciones de los medios de proximidad catalanes en el marco de la convergencia periodística. Los datos se han obtenido a partir de una encuesta distribuida entre los 123 medios que forman parte de la Associació Catalana de la Premsa Comarcal (ACPC), con un índice de respuesta del 45%, y de 19 entrevistas en profundidad mantenidas con periodistas y directivos de 8 grupos de comunicación. Las empresas fueron seleccionadas según criterios de distribución geográfica, diversidad mediática, periodicidad y tirada.Se observa cómo la convergencia periodística no supone necesariamente la integración de redacciones, aunque habitualmente sí que se desarrolla alguna forma de producción integrada. Las fórmulas desarrolladas son diversas, con distintos niveles de integración.

Patstat-tietokannan hyödyntäminen tutkimuskäytössä

Patenttitiedot sisältävät monenlaista tietoa joka on julkisesti saatavilla. Patenttien tietoja tutkimalla voidaan selvittää monenlaisia asioita, kuten yritysten tekemiä patenttimääriä, patenttiluokitusten jakautumista ja patenttien maantieteellistä jakaumaa. Vielä 1980-luvulla patenttitietojen analysoiminen suuremmissa määrin oli vaikeaa, sillä tietokoneiden laskentateho oli riittämätön. Nyt laskentatehon räjähdysmäisen kasvun ansiosta patentteja voidaan tutkia miljoonia kappaleita kerrallaan. Tässä työssä tutkitaan patenttitietokantoja, tietokantaserverin pystyttämistä ja tietojen hyödyntämistä jatkokäytössä.

Molecular characterization of Brazilian strains of Xanthomonas campestris pv. viticola by rep-PCR fingerprinting

Bacterial canker of grapevine (Vitis vinifera), caused by Xanthomonas campestris pv. viticola was first detected in Brazil in 1998, affecting grapevines in the São Francisco river basin, state of Pernambuco. The disease was also reported in Juazeiro, Bahia and later in Piauí and Ceará. Due to its limited geographical distribution and relatively recent detection in Brazil, very little is known about the pathogen's biology and diversity. Repetitive DNA based-PCR (rep-PCR) profiles were generated from purified bacterial DNA of 40 field strains of X. campestris pv. viticola, collected between 1998 and 2001 in the states of Pernambuco, Bahia and Piauí. Combined analysis of the PCR patterns obtained with primers REP, ERIC and BOX, showed a high degree of similarity among Brazilian strains and the Indian type strain NCPPB 2475. Similar genomic patterns with several diagnostic bands, present in all strains, could be detected. Fingerprints were distinct from those of strains representing other pathovars and from a yellow non-pathogenic isolate from grape leaves. The polymorphism observed among the Brazilian strains allowed their separation into five subgroups, although with no correlation with cultivar of origin, geographic location or year collected.

Ocorrência de Pseudocycnus appendiculatus Heller: Copépodo da família Pseudocycnidae, em águas do litoral paulista

During April 9 to 15, 1949, some parasitic copepods have been caught at the northern seashore region of São Paulo State (Brazil), in the Channel of São Sebastião. All copepods belong to the family Pseudocycnidae and to the species Pseudocycnus appendiculatus Heller. The animals were found in the gills of Gymnosarda alleterata (Rafinesque). This paper deals with the geographical distribution of the species, for the first time captured in brazilian waters.

Histophilus somni-induced thrombotic meningoencephalitis in cattle from northern Paraná, Brazil

Thrombotic meningoencephalitis (TME) is a fatal neurological disease of cattle, predominantly from North America, that is caused by Histophilus somniwith sporadic descriptions from other countries. This manuscript describes the occurrence of spontaneous TME in cattle from northern Paraná, Brazil. Most cattle had acute neurological manifestations characteristic of brain dysfunction. Hematological and cerebrospinal fluid analyses were not suggestive of bacterial infections of the brain. Histopathology revealed meningoencephalitis with vasculitis and thrombosis of small vessels that contained discrete neutrophilic and/or lymphocytic infiltrates admixed with fibrin at the brainstem, cerebral cortex, and trigeminal nerve ganglion of all animals. All tissues from the central nervous system used during this study were previously characterized as negative for rabies virus by the direct immunofluorescence assay. PCR and RT-PCR assays investigated the participation of infectious agents associated with bovine neurological disease by targeting specific genes of H. somni, Listeria monocytogenes, bovine herpesvirus -1 and -5, bovine viral diarrhea virus, and ovine herpesvirus-2. PCR and subsequent sequencing resulted in partial fragments of the 16S rRNA gene of H. somni from brain sections of all animals with histopathological diagnosis of TME; all other PCR/RT-PCR assays were negative. These findings confirmed the participation of H. somni in the neuropathological disease observed in these animals, extend the geographical distribution of this disease, and support previous findings of H. somni from Brazil.

Theses and Dissertations Digital Library: Ten years of Open Access and Open Archives in Brazil

Poster at Open Repositories 2014, Helsinki, Finland, June 9-13, 2014

Distribuição geográfica, ambiente preferencial e centros de diversidade dos membros da tribo Swartzieae na região sudeste do Brasil

A tribo Swartzieae pertence à subfamília Papilionoideae de Leguminosae e consiste do gênero tipo (com 143 espécies) e de outros 11 gêneros (com um total de cerca de 50 espécies), todos de regiões paleo ou neotropicais. O sudeste do Brasil possui uma considerável representatividade de espécies desta tribo, principalmente do gênero Zollernia, que compreende 70% do total de suas espécies ocorrentes nesta área. Os objetivos do presente trabalho são estudar a distribuição geográfica, o ambiente preferencial e localizar os centros de diversidade dos componentes de Swartzieae na região sudeste do Brasil. Para tanto foram obtidos dados de coletas próprias e os contidos nas etiquetas de material herborizado. Foi verificada a ocorrência de quatro gêneros, Bocoa na caatinga, Exostyles, Swartzia e Zollernia com forte associação com a Mata Atlântica. Rio de Janeiro é o estado que apresenta o maior número de espécies, 15, seguido pelo Espírito Santo com 13, Minas Gerais com 12 e São Paulo com sete. Seis espécies apresentam ampla distribuição na região sudeste, sendo que algumas delas ultrapassam este limite em direção ao norte do Brasil. Em contraste, Swartzia alternifoliolata e S.capixabensis são endêmicas do estado do Espírito Santo, Zollernia cowanii de Minas Gerais e S.glazioviana, Z. glabra e Z. glaziovii são endêmicas do estado do Rio de Janeiro. Os centros de diversidade da tribo Swartzieae na região sudeste do Brasil e dos gêneros Swartzia e Zollernia localizam-se principalmente no norte do Espírito Santo e na região da capital do estado do Rio de Janeiro.

Biosystematics of the genus Dahlstedtia Malme (Leguminosae, Papilionoideae, Millettieae)

Dahlstedtia has been considered a monotypic genus by some authors, but comprising two species according to others. The latter view was supported by our biosystematic study. The two species are Neotropical, mainly occurring in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, where they are, however, allopatric. Experimental pollinations show that the two species are intersterile. After interspecificcrossings, few pollen tubes reach the ovule, a dense secretion fills the micropyle and no proembryos are formed. Probably, there is no gene flow between species, but if it should occur, no hybrids would be formed. The present work confirms Burkart's taxonomic view, according to which Dahlstedtia comprises at least two species: D. pinnata and D. pentaphylla.

Cryptophiale and Cryptophialoidea (Conidial fungi) from Brazil and keys to the genera

During a survey of microfungi associated with dead leaves in the State of Bahia, Brazil, four species of Cryptophiale Piroz. and two species of Cryptophialoidea Kuthub. & Nawawi were found. Cryptophiale guadalcanalensis Matsush. and Cryptophialoidea fasciculata Kuthub. & Nawawi are new records for the neotropics, while C. ramosa Delg.-Rodr., J. Mena & Gené is a new record for South America. Descriptions, illustrations and geographical distribution of all the fungi are provided.

A new species of Bulbophyllum Thouars (Orchidaceae) from Minas Gerais, Brazil

During the taxonomic revision of the Neotropical Bulbophyllum (Orchidaceae) species, a new species was discovered from Bom Sucesso, Minas Gerais State, described and illustrated here as B. hatschbachianum E. C. Smidt & Borba. This species belongs to the Neotropical section Xiphizusa (Rchb. f.) Cogn. and posses a lip epichile completely different from the related species. It is closely to B. plumosum (Barb. Rodr.) Cogn. due to its vegetative morphology, but has different flower size, color and lip epichile. In B. plumosum the epichile is thin, longer and wider than the hipochile. In B. hatschbachianum the epichile is fleshy, shortest than the hipochile, thin, and sharply narrower than the hipochile. The flowers of this new species is similar to the Mexican B. solteroi R. González, but the general morphology of the lip, trichome size and the geographical distribution clearly distinguishes apart the two species.